The head of the United Nations (UN) Stabilization Mission in Haiti (Minustah) urged the international community on Friday to use a new approach to reconstruct the quake-hit Caribbean country.

Edmond Mulet, head of the Minustah, said that after decades of allegedly international aid, the essential needs of Haiti were never met.

Haiti has been requesting the construction of a 550-km highway network with a cost of IUS$500 million for 25 years, according to Mulet. He asked why the project still remains incomplete.

The destructive earthquake on January 12 has provided an opportunity for the international community to do what should have been done in Haiti a long time ago, he said.

Many developed countries have overseas Haitian communities which could play an important role to continuously give humanitarian aid to Haiti, Mulet said.

He added that when a natural disaster occurs, the work is usually divided into three stages -- humanitarian aid, recovery and reconstruction.

However, in the case of Haiti, the humanitarian aid should be extended even to the reconstruction stage due to the needs which have already existed before the earthquake and the heavy impact of the disaster on the country, Mulet said.

(Xinhua News Agency February 27, 2010)